Australia's Current-Account Deficit
Slid in December, Confirming Peak

SYDNEY, Australia -- Australia's current-account deficit has peaked and will continue to narrow during 2000, economists said Friday after the release of better-than-expected fourth-quarter data.

The current-account deficit narrowed to 7.96 billion Australian dollars (US$4.86 billion) in the December 1999 quarter from September's A$9.39 billion, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said. Economists' median forecast had been for an A$8.2...